Viet Nam has made significant progress over the past decades in providing rural population with safe water supply and sanitation facilities. Nevertheless, the progress with sanitation and hygiene has been less impressive with concerns for the quality and use of household, school and public sanitary facilities. In order to set a national benchmark, Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2005 issued a decision (08/2005/QD-BYT) outlining the hygiene sanitation standard.

This National Baseline Survey on the Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Situation in Viet Nam is the first national survey that has applied the hygienic sanitation standards as outlined in the Decision 08/2005/QD-BYT. It provides an overview of the coverage of hygienic latrines in rural households, schools and other public places. The survey presents the current situation of water usage, sanitation and hygiene practice at households, schools, and other public places in rural Viet Nam. The data collected was analyzed in various ecological regions and among different population groups.The final report was reviewed and approved by MOH’s scientific committee.

The findings from this survey will be used as a reference for further interventions, supervision, and evaluation for the National Target Programme on Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation in the second phase (NTP II). The data also will be used for implementation and evaluation the cooperation programme between MOH and UNICEF in the period 2006-2010. Moreover, the results of the survey will be useful baseline to assess achievements of the countries on Viet Nam Development Goals (VDGs) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The survey was conducted by MOH with the participation of Viet Nam Administration of Preventive Medicine (VAPM), and Water Supply and Sanitation Reference  Centre (WSRC) of Thai Binh Medical College, with technical as well as financial support from UNICEF.

Related info

•  Factsheet (English)
  
•  Factsheet (Vietnamese)
  
•  Q&A (English)

•  Q&A (Vietnamese)

The State of the World’s Children 2008 assesses the state of child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children today. These issues serve as sensitive barometers of a country’s development and wellbeing and as evidence of its priorities and values. Investing in the health of children and their mothers is a human rights imperative and one of the surest ways for a country to set its course towards a better future.

The State of the World's Children 2007 examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives - and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) forward, and shows how investment in women's rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children.

For more information on the report visit: http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_36587.html